Soichiro Honda, the man who gave Japan the red car!

The S500 was Honda’s first passenger car. At the time, passenger cars were not allowed to be painted red, which was reserved for fire engines, or white, reserved for ambulances. But Soichiro launched a concerted campaign to lift the ban on red vehicles, arguing that red was an integral part of his design aesthetic. As a result of his efforts, the then Transport Ministry finally agreed to permit the use of red.

The S500 was a hit at the 1962 motor show

A bike that fits inside a car : this color represents innovation

The City, also known as the Tall Boy, was a hit with young people. The Motocompo was based on the design concept of a bike that could fit inside a car, and is in a sense a part of its interior. No other automaker has such inspired ideas for modern lifestyles. The Motocompo was available in the same colors as the City.

The very popular television commercials helped propel the City to a dominant position in the market

Based on the concept of chasing the setting sun everywhere

The first Civic sports model was the Civic 1200RS, launched in 1974. It featured the stunning Sunset Orange color, which later made a comeback as Sunset Orange II in the Fit RS. The new Sunset Orange was created by young color designers who weren’t around when the original was released, and wanted to make a more vibrant and sporty solid-color type.

After 26 years, the new and improved Sunset Orange returns on the 2010 Fit RS!

Inspired by the soybean, warm white was a striking departure from traditional color schemes

For many years, Honda tillers were always red. Then in 2009 came the Pianta. Designed to run on butane gas canisters rather than gasoline and targeted at non-traditional users, the Pianta was finished in a warm white hue inspired by the humble soybean. It proved an instant success for small-scale applications such as gardening and household micro-farms.

A soybean concept illustration from the color designer

The color used on this groundbreaking new motorcycle was inspired by the natural beauty of Japan

The Super Cub, described by Soichiro as “halfway between a motorcycle and a scooter,” heralded a whole new approach in two-wheeled transportation. It featured a natural, logical design shape and a striking blue finish inspired by the autumn skies and seas of Japan.

Super Cub blue was inspired by the autumn sky and seas of Japan

The world’s high-end commercial motorcycle sports the world’s most vivid and memorable red!

The four-stroke NR500 was racing on the World Grand Prix at a time when two-stroke engines ruled supreme. The technology developed through this venture subsequently led to the NR. The color designers were given few concrete directives other than to produce “a special color that gives the bike an aura and makes it stand out from the rest of the field.” The result was the unmistakably brilliant and appealing red of the NR.

The “reddest of reds” employs a specially developed paint formulation

Yellow means fun to look at and fun to drive

The 1991 Beat was a two-seater convertible with mid-ship layout. Designed by a mainly young team with a brief to create a look that was new and exciting, it marked a significant departure from the conventional small car concept and proved enormously popular. Yellow was the overwhelmingly popular choice of the design team, and the sense of fun is maintained in the official name of the color too.

Festival Red was also popular

A cheerful color that’s perfect for electric wheelchairs!

Electric wheelchairs have traditionally been made in dull, drab colors. But Honda designers, inspired by the sight of brightly dressed older people at Sugamo in Tokyo, wanted to do their bit to encourage older citizens to get out and enjoy themselves. To this end, they set out to design a stylish and appealing electric wheelchair featuring sleek contours and a bright red color scheme.

An early design sketch This product won several awards including the Good Design Gold Award

A legendary color with its ancestry in the world’s greatest Formula One race

In 1964, the RA271 became the first Japanese Formula One car to compete in the world’s greatest race. It was painted Ivory White and sported the Japanese flag in cardinal red and the Honda logo in bright red. This color scheme was subsequently transferred to the Type R, starting with the NSX Type R in 1992 and then the popular Integra Type R and Civic Type R.

In those days, all Formula One cars were required to be painted in the colors of the home nation.